Eczema and Swimming Factsheet Swimming Is a Vitally Important Life Skill and an Enjoyable Family Activity
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
12 Eczema and swimming factsheet Swimming is a vitally important life skill and an enjoyable family activity. No child with eczema should be excluded from learning to swim. In addition to being a very important skill to master, swimming is a reasonably skin-friendly form of exercise as it doesn’t involve getting too hot and sweaty (and therefore itchy). All swimming pools need to maintain pool water in a safe and hygienic state, balanced within an ideal pH range. This is achieved in the UK with the addition of chlorine, a powerful disinfectant, and various other chemicals (see swimming pool facts below). The problem is that some children and adults are irritated by swimming pool water (depending on the mix of chemicals used by the individual pool); however, not everyone with eczema will necessarily experience the same degree of irritation, as eczema is a very individual condition. How does swimming pool water Practical suggestions for avoiding swimming-related affect eczema? skin problems: Many different environmental irritants can trigger • Avoid swimming if the eczema is flaring badly or eczema, and swimming pool water is no exception. infected. Some people with eczema may experience irritation or • If swimming indoors, apply your usual emollient drying of their skin; others experience no negative effects cream or, better still, an emollient ointment, before (especially if they wash well with emollients and apply entering the pool (i.e. after using the toilet and moisturisers before and after swimming). showering). It is a good idea to put on more cream Dryness of the skin after swimming is likely to occur if the than you usually would, so that it acts as a good pH of the pool water is raised (pH above neutral can barrier to the water. cause dry skin, as can calcium build-up). Chlorine can • If swimming outdoors, remember that the sun also cause dryness, but since it is a bleach, and recent reflects on water and therefore waterproof sun research in eczema has recommended diluted bleach as protection will be required. First, go to the toilet and a way of reducing bacteria on eczematous skin, it is not shower; then apply emollients about half an hour all bad! before applying sunscreen – this will prevent the Some people with eczema may experience irritant sunscreen becoming diluted by the emollient and dermatitis. This can be due to the skin reacting to chlorine ensure that the sunscreen keeps its reflective or to any of the other chemicals added to sanitise or alter properties and protects your skin. Try not to overdo the chemical balance of the swimming pool water. If this your emollient when outdoors as it may produce a happens to you, it may be worth changing where you ‘frying’ effect in the sun if it hasn’t been properly swim as different pools may use different chemical absorbed. (NB Most people with eczema do best treatment systems. with sunscreens that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which sit on the skin rather than being absorbed.) National Eczema Society Helpline: 0800 448 0818 Email: [email protected] www.eczema.org 1 43 Eczema and swimming factsheet • As soon as possible after swimming, shower off using Water sanitisation your usual emollient wash/oil/gel. Then apply more Bacteria multiply rapidly in untreated water. Various leave-on cream than usual. (NB If the pool showers use methods are used for sanitisation: chlorinated pool water, it is best to go home and take a shower/bath immediately you get there.) • Chlorine is the most widely used disinfectant for swimming pool water in the UK. It is important to • Children who are self-conscious about their eczema maintain the correct ‘free chlorine residual’ at all times. may prefer to wear UV-protection swim suits/clothing. If you can smell the chlorine, it means that there is not These may do the trick in covering elbows and the enough ‘free chlorine’ in the water – the distinctive smell backs of knees; however, since they’re not just comes from chlorine that has combined with other designed for people with eczema, you do have to compounds that were not washed off people’s bodies look hard to find ones with longer sleeves/trousers. before swimming, hence the importance of using toilet • If swimming pool water is an irritant, consider going to and shower facilities before you swim. In the UK, another swimming pool where different chemicals may people often skip the pre-swim shower so pools tend be used. Alternatively, try to find a salt-water pool, or to be more heavily chlorinated than in countries where swim in fresh or sea water (especially in the summer there is more of a culture of cleanliness! Chlorine months). stabilisers are used in outdoor pools to prevent loss of chlorine due to sunlight. • Try to find out when the chlorine is added to the swimming pool and avoid swimming immediately • Salt-water chlorination has been used for many years afterwards – the higher the chlorine level, the greater in Europe, Australia and South Africa as it removes the the risk of irritation. need to add chlorine separately to a pool. It is a less common way of sanitising pools in the UK. Salt-water • When trying out a new pool, spend just a short time in chlorination works by having an electrolytic cell break the water and see how it goes. down the salt (sodium chloride) dissolved in the water • Remember that even when you get out of the water, in order to produce chlorine, which acts as the sanitiser. your skin is still exposed to chlorinated fumes around Salt-water chlorination at swimming pool water the poolside, so don’t hang about unnecessarily. strength does not bleach and, according to the manufacturers, is kinder to the skin and eyes. Facts about swimming pool water • Bromine is used in some pools – mainly domestic and Maintaining the correct chemistry of swimming pool hydrotherapy pools – as an alternative to chlorine. water is very important for health and safety, and a variety of different chemicals are added to achieve this. • PHMB is a disinfectant used as a three-part system for There are two aspects to maintaining balanced, safe, domestic pools. disinfected water: • Algaecides are added to kill and prevent the growth of algae. • Filter aids/flocculants/clarifiers help to remove foreign debris/material. National Eczema Society Helpline: 0800 448 0818 Email: [email protected] www.eczema.org 2 65 Eczema and swimming factsheet Pool water Treatment Advisory Water balance Group (PWTAG) pH is the most important factor in swimming pool water The PWTAG Code of Practice provides pool operators with chemistry since it affects chlorine efficacy as well as a structured plan for the technical operation of their pool. overall balance in the water. pH is a logarithmic scale for The Code ensures that the pool meets quality standards measuring the water’s acidity or basicity – the ideal pH that provide a healthy experience for swimmers. For this value to be comfortable for eyes and to prevent corrosive reason all UK pools are encouraged to follow it. Following or scale-forming conditions is at a slightly basic value in the Code gives an assurance to operators and the public the range of pH 7.2-7.4. Other factors that influence that the pool meets essential healthy pool operational water balance include total alkalinity (the amount of base standards. The Code is designed, among other things, to in the form of bicarbonates, carbonates and hydroxides), meet the health challenge of one of the greatest threats calcium hardness and water temperature. that the sector has to deal with – the chlorine-resistant pathogen, Cryptosporidium. Check with your local pool that they follow the PWTAG code and meet essential health pool operating standards. For more information on swimming pool water, please visit www.pwtag.org DISCLAIMER Our publications contain information and general advice about eczema. They are written and reviewed by dermatology experts, with input from people with eczema. We hope you find the information helpful, although it should not be relied upon as a substitute for personalised advice from a qualified healthcare professional. While we strive to ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date, National Eczema Society does not accept any liability arising from its use. We welcome reader feedback on our publications, please email us at [email protected] Factsheet last reviewed February 2018. © National Eczema Society, June 2019. All rights reserved. Except for personal use, no part of this work may be distributed, reproduced, downloaded, transmitted or stored in any form without the written permission of National Eczema Society. National Eczema Society is the UK charity for everyone affected by eczema. We help support people with eczema, providing information and advice, which we deliver through our website, social media, campaigns, publications and nurse-supported Helpline. We also provide a voice for people with eczema, raising awareness of the condition, supporting research into new treatments and campaigning for better medical care. National Eczema Society Helpline: 0800 448 0818 Email: [email protected] www.eczema.org 3 .